with Dan Gibson

One would imagine Lynda Drews wishes she didn't have the material for her first book, Run at Destruction, a murder mystery involving a member of her running group in the 1980's.

While losing a friend in a violent manner is a terrible event to experience, Drews serves her friend's memory well with a book that honors her memory and shows how a group of people tied together by a common love can become a sort of family.  Lynda Drews (virtually) sat down with Between the Lines' Dan Gibson to discuss how Run at Destruction came to be.

DG:  So, I was reading that you had some writing experience before your career in computer science.  Were you still thinking about writing while in the midst of your career, or did the creative impulse just pop up again at some point?

LD: As a freshman in college I did take a creative writing course and was told by my professor that I had talent in this area. But I also took a computer science class, which was a new emerging area – especially for women. Encouraged, I became the first graduate in this field from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, so I put my writing passion on the back-burner. About ten years into my career with IBM, though, I got the creative urge again and took a writing children’s literature course through the mail. I submitted a few short stories to magazines, but had no luck. Again I put my idea about becoming an author on hold until I retired in 2004. At that point I read numerous books and attended three writing workshops to really delve into the craft.

DG:  How did the idea of Run at Destruction come about? LD:  Ever since my best friend, Pamela Bulik, died in 1984, by mysterious means, I’d believed I had a story to tell. She and her husband, Bob, were both teachers and key members within our close-knit Green Bay running community. Her bathtub drowning stunned us and became a near-obsession for my friends and me. Nobody could believe that one member of our group could be accused of planning the murder of the other, even though Bob was engaged in a secret affair with yet another runner/teacher. Initially the book was written as a novel in conjunction with another good friend. However, when we realized there could be legal issues, by keeping the setting in Green Bay and making the characters recognizable, my friend dropped out of the project and I totally rewrote the story as a narrative non-fiction account. That’s when another writer referred me to the Editorial Department. I sent in my manuscript, received a very candid critique, and did another extensive rewrite. Finally, I could tell I had something that might be marketable.        DG:  Was it difficult to write about a time that was clearly painful for you? LD:  It was difficult reliving the turmoil that my best friend, Pam, experienced, especially her innermost thoughts, revealed in her journals, running logs, cards, and letters. But my interviews with family, friends, detectives, attorneys, the coroner, and jurors provided new revelations. Delving into boxes of police and court records was also an eye-opener. I amazingly discovered that my beliefs about Pam’s death had changed. By writing Run at Destruction, I was able to share that insight that would’ve otherwise remained undisclosed. It is also important to note that Pam and her husband aren’t the only focus of my book. The reader is immersed into the history of our running community, celebrating its unique friendship and powerful support system.        DG:  How did the process of obtaining a publisher and getting the book on shelves go for you? LD:  Anybody that has written a manuscript will tell you that writing is actually the easy part, it’s much harder to get a publisher. I first researched the agents/publishers that were interested in the true crime genre and then developed my query letter and book proposal. I received five requests to read my manuscript. One was an agent who was also a runner. She said she was intrigued by my pitch and eager to see more. I was very hopeful, but like the rest, a rejection letter came back. Hers said, “I just don’t agree that readers will still find this story relevant today, as fascinating as it is.”  So… I took her words to heart and changed my book proposal to show its relevancy. I realized that my story took place in the 80s, which was actually the timeframe of the “first running boom.” Since there are 40 million US runners, it would be the first true crime book, also categorized as sports/running, taking place during this historical era. This was my hook. With fresh focus I again went after an agent/publisher and was excited when I secured a contract with TitleTown Publishing, a new firm located in Green Bay, which, by chance, specialized in the true crime genre.

Once I got my publisher, I sent my bound galley to Ann Rule, the best-selling True Crime author of The Stranger Beside Me, Small Sacrifices, and Mortal Danger. I was thrilled when she agreed to review my book. The outcome was an amazing blurb and prominent placement within her website’s recommended reading list. TitleTown could now provide the sales force of their distributor, Midpoint, the ammunition to promote and successfully sell my title into Barnes&Noble, Borders, Target, Ingram, Amazon, etc.    DG:  You're very connected to the Green Bay community and to runners around the country/world... how has the book been received by those who would be the quickest to connect to the subject? LD:  It is important to know your target audience and being a runner, myself, helps. In addition to Ann Rule’s blurb, I sought out endorsement from the running community. My husband and I helped start Green Bay’s local running movement, while my husband was also instrumental in launching the Bellin Run 10K in 1977. It now is the 4th largest in the nation. With some tenacity, I was able to secure blurbs from the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Race Director, from the Boston Marathon Race Director, and one from of the US correspondent for Track & Field News. This gave me the credibility I needed for the worldwide running community.  Even though true crime readers are the prime audience, they are difficult to target. Runners on the other hand are easily identifiable. There are sites like www.runningintheusa.com that provide the US clubs and races. I’ve been reaching out to them to do talks and signings with good results.  DG:  To me, it seems like you’ve really embraced technology in promoting your book...what have been the plusses and minuses of releasing a book in the digital age? LD:  There are a lot of plusses in being able to create a one-on-one relationship with readers on my website, on my blog, on Facebook, Goodreads, through frequent Twitters, and by responding to e-mails. Those formats help link any press reportage, reviews, radioblogs, and television interviews to help market to the public. Amazon has recently setup Authorcentral, understanding the importance of giving their authors a “face” and linking them to their bio and blogs. On the other hand, technology can control your life. Because you are accessible, there are constant communications coming your way that you need to respond to in a timely manner so as not to disappoint those readers that have taken the time to communicate with you.    DG:  What advice would you give writers taking on their first book, especially those (like you) who are doing so in the midst or at the end of their "primary" career? At retirement, I was fortunate to receive an IBM pension. My prior co-workers saw my passion for that job, but those that have known me, from both walks-of-life, can see that I’m even more passionate about writing. It has added new excitement and challenges into my life. Your first book is like giving birth to your first child. You’re anxiously anticipating a new chapter in your life. This initial part of my journey took me five years to complete. Now I’m in the midst of the next phase, drawing on the marketing skills I learned at IBM. People ask me if I’m writing another book. I have started one… but this year has to be about promoting Run at Destruction. It’s interesting how, all your life, you’ve been taught to be humble and now have to throw that aside to self-promote. With so many books to choose from – somehow you must drive readers to select yours.

Run at Destruction has been a labor of love. Its primary purpose was not to make money, but to honor my best friend’s memory and to instill that special running sub-culture into the reader’s heart.